Keyboard cleaner for musical instruments



Aug. l0 1926. 1,595,950

g. KIRSNER KEYBOARD CLEANER PQR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Filed Jam.l 2o.' 192e INVENTOR 4 ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 10, 1926.

ISAAC KIRSNER, OF BRQOELYN, NEW YORK.

KEYBOARD CLEANER' FOR MUSICAL INSTBIVENTS.

Application filed January This invention relates to improvements in keyboard cleaners for musical instruments and is especially adapted to piano keyboards.

The principal object of the invention resides in a device which may be drawn back andforth over the keyboard in a transverse direction for cleaning the black vkeys and thatportion of the white keys disposed between the black keys and which cannot orn dinarily be reached by passing a duster or dust cloth over the key-board, and which device may also he drawn longitudinally over the outer portions of the white keys' for thoroughly cleaning the same.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide a cleaning device capable of cleaning two and one-third octaves of the piano key board upon one operation and which is ca pable of cleaning the entire key-board in approximately three operations.

A further object is the provision of a cleaning device having a portion of the underside thereof provided with recess-es of a shape to receive the black-keys, and a flat portion for passage over the white keys, the entire underside of the device being provided with a soft material having polis-hing qualities such as plush, wool, cotton, chamois, felt or the like.

A further object of the invention resides in the construction of a key-board cleaner which is simple in construction, inexpensive of manufacture, and highly efficient for the purpose intended.

lith these and other objects in view, the invention resides in certain novel construe tion and combination and arrangement of parts, the essential features of which are hereinafter fully described, are particularly pointed out in the appended claims, and are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure l is a perspective view of my improved key-board cleaner.

Figure 2 is a similar view but showing the underside thereof.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view therethrough.

Figure l is a vertical transverse sectional view showing the position of the device with respect to the keyboard of a piano when cleaning the white keys.

Referring more particularly to the drawA Ling, the reference numeral l0 designates my 20,1926. Serial No. 82,590.

improved cleaning device inits entirety and which is constructed of a rectangular shape bony ll of any suitable hard or stiifmaterial such as wood, metal liber or the like and which has its underside provided with spaced recesses l2 which open on to one of the side longitudinal edges of the body, while the'ren'iainder of the undersideprovides L fiat surface 13. rlhe recesses l2 are of such shape as to receive the black keys of a piano key-board and are so vspaced'that two and one-third octavesmay be cleaned in' one operation. The longitudinal edge opposite to that on which the recesses open is beveled as at lll at an angle approximating the angle ofthe front end of the black keys so that ,the device may be drawn longitudinally over the key-board with the fiat por tion 13 in Contact with the forward-endsv of the white keys so as to clean the same and simultaneously clean the front inclined faces of the black keys as shown in Figure L of the drawings.

rlhe end edges of the underside of the body are rounded as at l5 in alignment with s the fiat portion so that the device will move smoothly over the white keys without fear of striking the sides of the keys and damaging them. The entire underside of the body is covered with a soft polishing material 16 such as plush, wool, cotton, chamois, or other absorbent or non-absorbent material having polishing qualities.

A handle or grip 17 is mounted on the top of the body centrally thereof and is adapted to be grasped by the hand of the operator.

In practice, the black keys of the piano key-board and that portion of the white keys lying within the range of the device are cleaned Erst by applying the device to the key-board at one end thereof which takes in two and one-third octaves'. The device is moved back and forth ina transverse direction with the black keys received in the respective recesses, and after those keys which come within the range of the device have been cleaned, the same is moved to take in the next group of keys, until all the key board has been cleaned. After cleaning the keys, the device is turned around and placed upon the outer ends of the white keys with the fiat portion 13 in engagement therewith. The device may now be freely drawn back and forth in a. longitudinal direction over the white keys and 'the same thoroughly cleaned of any dust which may not have been removed during the previous operations. It is possible to clean the outer ends of the White keys during the cleaning of the black keys but to assure a thorough cleaning, the device should be drawn longitudinally over the key-board in the manner j ust described. Although I have mentioned that the device has been designed to clean two and one-third octaves in one operation, the device may be enlarged or reduced so as to take in a greater or lesser amount of keys to be cleaned in a single operation.

l/Vhat is claimed as new is l. A key-board cleaner comprising an elongated back member having one of its surfaces covered with a soft polishing niaterial, the covered face of said member being provided with recesses opening onto one of its longitudinal edges and terminating short of the opposite longitudinal edge Vto provide an uninterrupted surface along the length thereof, the recesses being spaced and of a shape to receive and clean the black keys of the key-board of a musical instrument when the device is applied thereto and for cleaning that portion of the White keys Within the range of the device upon transverse movement thereover, and said uninterrupted surface adapted to be used for cleaning the outer ends of said White keys by passing the device longitudinally thereover.

2. A key-board cleaner comprising a rectangular body member, spaced recesses provided on the underside of said body member and opening onto one of the longitiulinal edges of said body member and spaced to receive a predetermined number of black keys of a piano key-board, said recesses terminating short of the opposite longitudinal edge to provide an uninterrupted surface, and a layer of soft material completely covering the underside of said body member, substantially as and for the purpose speci` lied.

3. A key-board cleaner comprising an elongated back member having its underside covered with a soft polishing material, the covered face of said member being providedL with recesses opening onto one of the longitudinal edges and terminating short of the opposite longitudinal edge, said last longitudinal edge being bevelled, While the opposite end edges are rounded for a portion of the Width of the body member, substantially as and for the purpose specilied.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

ISAAC KIR-SNEP. 

